The Power of Fire and Water
by ThornWolf the Loyal
Summary: When Ozzie finds a mysterious emblem, the girls are whisked off the a strange world, and without their magic! With the help of a redgold wolf, will they be able to save this world and get home in one piece? My first fanfic, so go easy on me! Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1: The Emblem

**I'm so excited! This is my first fan fiction ever. It was inspired by two completely different things: the Avalon series, and the score from The Pirates of the Caribbean. Although the chapters don't line up with the tracks, if you read fast enough, my story and the score match up almost perfectly. I hope you, the reader, enjoy it. Please read and review, I love feedback. Anyway, on with the show, er, story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 1: The Emblem 

"I'm soooo bored", moaned Kara Davies for the umpteenth time that day.

It was a dreary rainy day, and the girls had gone to the library at Ravenswood in hopes of finding something to do. They hadn't had any calls for help from Zack or the Fairymentals in a while, and even the Dark Sorceress and the Spider Witch seemed to have stopped their antics-at least for a little while.

"We know!", growled Adriane Charday. "If you're so bored, why don't you check on the website?"

"Fine", replied the blonde girl as she got up from an old leather armchair and went to the computer just as a curly haired redhead entered the room. "Hey look who finally came back."

"Sorry it took me so long", Emily Fletcher said, putting the bag she was carrying down onto a table, "but a certain ferret wouldn't stop bugging me about which chips to get."

A small furry brown head popped up from the inside of her jacket. "That's elf-turned-ferret to you", replied a disgruntled Ozzie as he wriggled his way out and landed, rather ungracefully, on the desk. "For your information, she was going to pick up Doritos instead of Tostitos."

"Oh, what a tragedy that would have been!", quipped the black haired Adriane with a smile, coming over to help Emily unpack the snacks.

"Humph. Fine, be that way", said Ozzie as he tried to hide a smile behind a paw.

"_Ugh, I hate water! It's ruining my fur!"_

"_Oh, please. It's just a little rain!"_

"_Yeah, well you're not the one who spent the last hour grooming!"_

Two dripping animals entered the library, arguing all the way in.

"Hi, Lyra. Hey, Dreamer." Emily greeted the wet winged cat and the soaking mistwolf.

"_Kara, my fur's all messed up!"_, Lyra wailed.

"_It's WATER!"_, barked Dreamer. He shook himself off, spraying water everywhere. He smirked at Lyra, who was splashed with the most water. Lyra ignored him as Kara came over with a towel.

"Hey guys, check out what I found!", yelled Ozzie as he climbed down from a set of shelves.

"When did you get up there?", asked Adriane.

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is this."

In Ozzie's paw was a small emblem. It looked like a red and blue yin-yang symbol.

"Let me see it."

Emily took the emblem from his paw and held it up for the others to see.

"_Strange. Look the red side looks like a flame while the blue side looks like a water drop"_, a slightly dryer Lyra said.

Kara took it from Emily and held it up to the light. "Look at how it sparkles in the light-what the?!"

The mysterious emblem suddenly started to shake. Kara squeaked and let go of it, but the symbol stayed in the air. It began to spin. It went faster and faster, growing in size with each rotation.

"It's…It's a p-portal!", yelled Emily as she was dragged into it.

"Oh my gosh!", screamed Kara, following Emily in.

"Dreamer, help!", cried Adriane as she was sucked in as well.

The mistwolf leapt forward with Lyra right behind him, but the mysterious portal closed just as suddenly as it opened. The two animals hit the wall and scrambled to their feet just in time to see the emblem stop spinning. It fell to the ground, now cold and dark like stone.

"They're…They're GONE!!!", wailed Ozzie.


	2. Chapter 2: Controlled

Chapter 2: Controlled 

In a strange world, a dark warlock was sitting upon his throne. He smiled evilly to himself, for he had stolen this position, and had killed many in the process. A voice brought him back from his thoughts as he looked down. Before him stood a strange creature. It had a humanoid shape, but was severely deformed. He had done this to the being, allowing it to live if it joined his army. Oh yes, this warlock had created many others like this creature, a being he decided to call a Kakera.

"Sire, the prisoner has awakened."

"Good. Bring her in."

The Kakera motioned to some others, who dragged forward a red-gold she-wolf. In the center of her forehead there was a white teardrop, and around her neck there was an evil-looking black collar.

"Kaji, how nice of you to join us."

"Akuma, I should have known. Why are you doing this? Why have you taken my throne?!"

Akuma, the dark warlock, ignored this and turned to the Kakera. "Take the chains off of her." The creatures quickly obeyed him. Kaji shook out her coat and snarled at him.

"Fool! Now there is nothing to stop me from killing you!"

"That's not true", Akuma said calmly.

"That's what you think!" Kaji leapt for his throat. Suddenly, the collar lit up with red sparks. Kaji roared with pain and fell to the ground. Leaping to her paws she growled at him.

"If I can not use a physical attack against you, then I will use fire instead!" Kaji reared back, then planted her feet firmly into the ground to deliver a blast of fire at him, but nothing happened at all. No fire at all, not even a spark. "What? How can this be?"

"Precisely. This collar prevents you from attacking me and surpresses your fire powers. And that's not all it can do…"

Once more the collar lit up with the sparks. Kaji howled and closed her eyes in pain. Her eyes shot open, glowing red, and her body went rigid.

"It also can control you! Now, kill that Kakera!", Akuma shouted as he pointed at the Kakera who had first approached him. Kaji leapt for him, and although the Kakera tried to defend itself with its sword, Kaji avoid all of it attacks and latched onto its neck. Her eyes suddenly returned to normal and the she-wolf stumbled back away from the dead body.

"N-no. No! You!", Kaji roared again and leapt for Akuma. Once again, the collar lit up, but this time more fiercely. Kaji struggled but collapsed, unable to fight. Akuma roared with laughter.

"Put her in with the Steel Wolves that are under Touken's command!"

The Kakera raced to do this. Kaji could only follow them, unable to do anything else.


	3. Chapter 3: New World, New Troubles

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 3: New World, New Troubles

"Oh, my head", moaned Kara as she came to. She looked up to see the other two girls standing over her, looking extremely worried. "When did you wake up?"

"Not too long ago", replied Emily.

"Do we know where we are?"

"No. It's not Aldenmor, that's for sure", Adriane said as she stood up.

Kara got to her feet with Emily's help. The area was…gray. There really was no other way to describe it. It felt and looked as though something evil had destroyed the land.

"There's even worse problem's then not knowing where we are. We can't use our magic."

"What!" Kara looked at her jewel, and sure enough it was dark and cold. "Well, maybe we should try to find a way home?"

"Yeah. Let's go. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we get out of here", said Emily, desperately trying to be positive.

"Maybe", mumbled Adriane, not making any effort at all.

After what felt like hours of walking the girls stopped for a rest. The scenery hadn't changed at all. Suddenly, Adriane shot to her feet.

"Guys, we aren't alone."

"What? Oh no", yelped Emily as she saw what Adriane was staring at. Ten deformed creatures stood before them, wielding nasty looking swords. Slowly they moved toward the girls.

"Let me handle this. My personality and looks might win them over", Kara whispered to the others. "Well hi there! Sure is a nice day", she aid brightly.

No reply.

"Um, okay, do you know where-yikes!" Kara leapt back as one of the creatures swung its sword at her. "Never mind the talking. RUN!!"

The girls took off with the creatures in hot pursuit. They ran faster then they had ever run before, but the monsters kept getting closer. Adriane pushed back a tree branch, which she let go. It hit three of their pursuers in the face, slowing them down.

"Look out for the cliff", Emily hissed to the others. They stopped just at the edge and turned to face the creatures. Just as they lunged, the girls stepped aside and the monsters went flying over the edge.

"Well that was a little too close", said Emily breathlessly.

A twig snapped. The girls jumped up as metallic, iron gray wolves stepped out of the bushes. A larger red-gold wolf wearing a black collar stepped out behind them.

"Never mind."

They began running again, but two of the wolves blocked their escape.

"Attack!" Three more wolves leapt for them when the red-gold wolf jumped and took out two of the attackers. Adriane managed to knock the third one over the edge.

"No! You will OBEY!" The wolf reared her head back in pain as her eyes turned red. She leapt at them when Kara grabbed a large stick and hit her hard over the head. She stumbled back dazed as the two wolves that had blocked their escape leapt at them. Adriane picked up a rock and threw it at the smaller of the two, puncturing a hole in its head. White mist rose out of the hole as it sank to the ground.

"They're hollow!", she shouted. The second wolf landed on Emily. Kara swung her stick at it and cracked its side open. Once more, it fell still as mist rose from its side. The Red- gold wolf recovered from the blow and was preparing to attack again when someone stopped her. More of the awful deformed creatures appeared and grabbed the girls.

"Bring them back to Akuma!"

"No need, for I am here." A tall dangerous looking man stepped forward. He looked at the struggling girls, smiled a hideous smile, and pointed at them. Each of them felt consciousness slipping away. They fell limp in their captors' arms. "Bring them back to the castle and put them in the dungeon."

The Kakera quickly followed his orders. Kaji's eyes returned to normal, and she meekly followed him. Looking at the girls she wondered how much longer she would have to do what he said.


	4. Chapter 4: Escape!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 4: Escape!

The girls found themselves in a cold, dark prison cell. Outside stood a line of the creatures and the red-gold wolf. The man, Akuma, stood before them.

"Well done, my Kakera. You were not a mistake to create. I knew that you would be loyal to me. But you", he said turning to the wolf. "How dare you defy me! I allowed you to live, and this is how you repay me? Perhaps you need to be reminded of you're place!"

The wolf howled in pain and fell to the ground as the collar lit up with red sparks. Even as she lay there on the ground writhing in agony, the collar did not stop. "Stop! Please", she howled. Finally, the collar stopped glowing and she painfully got to her feet again.

"Good. Kakera, you are dismissed. Kaji, guard the prisoners. Do not try to free them, otherwise you will be destroyed." The wolf cringed at his words. With a smirk, Akuma left, followed by the Kakera. Kaji waited a few moments. Then she raced for the cell.

"Listen to me. I can get you out of here if you can get this collar of me. Is it a deal?"

"I don't know. You tried to attack us", Kara stated.

"I know, but it wasn't me. Honest! They've been using this collar to control me. Now is it a deal or not?"

After hesitating a moment, Adriane reached through the bars and unlatched the collar. Kaji grabbed it a flung it across the room. Shaking out her fur she streaked out of the room.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Emily called after her.

A few seconds later, Kaji returned with a set of keys clamped between her teeth. Kara let out a sigh of relief as he wolf picked out one of the keys and slid it into the lock. It clicked and the door swung open with a very loud squeal. Within moments, a troop of Kakera raced in.

"Go!" yelled Kaji as she leapt at the guards, knocking them over. The girls raced out of the nearest exit. Kaji followed close behind and closed the door. "Lock it!" she barked. Adriane quickly locked it just as the Kakera hit it.

"Thanks", Kara said.

"No problem", Kaji replied as she turned to lick a cut on her left shoulder she received for on of the guards. "What're your names?"

"I'm Kara, this is Emily, and the black haired one dressed in black is Adriane."

"Kaji. Nice to meet you." She looked up at them. Kaji thought she heard a sound, and as she looked down the hall behind them, she saw more Kakera. "Run!"

Kaji ran down the adjacent hall as the girls followed her. They ran down hall after hall, but the Kakera were catching up. They entered a large room where more of the foul creatures were with bows and arrows. The girls ducked down to avoid the volley of arrows that were fired at them. One was aimed at Kara's head. Just as it was loosed, Kaji leapt in its path. The head of the arrow buried into her right shoulder. Kaji stumbled and fell behind the girls.

"Look out for the drop-off!" cried Emily. The girls skidded to a stop, but Kaji didn't. She knocked into them and all four fell over the edge. They were bruised, but miraculously unharmed. They scrambled to their feet and kept running as Kakera landed behind them. Kaji whirled around and howled as loud as she could. The sound shook the walls and the ceiling caved in, trapping the Kakera under the rubble.

"Is everyone okay?" Kaji asked as she reached around to remove the arrow with her teeth.

"Yeah", said Adriane.

"I…I think so", Emily shakily responded.

"I'm covered in bruises!" wailed Kara.

"You could have an arrow in you instead if it wasn't for Kaji!" yelled Adriane.

"…Oh."

Behind them a rock clattered across the floor. The four whipped around to see an enormous black wolf. Kaji leapt forward despite her shoulder and growled low and loud.

"Touken!"


	5. Chapter 5: Fight for Freedom

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 5: Fight for Freedom 

"Hello, Kaji", The large black wolf known as Touken said in such a smooth voice that it made you want to run away crying. Kaji, however, stood her ground without flinching.

"I do not want to fight you, Touken."

"Relax. I would never fight one who is on my team." Touken moved forward with a smile that looked more like a deranged grimace. "Traitors, on the other hand, I destroy!"

He launched himself at Kaji and wrapped his jaws around her side, shaking her violently as though she was nothing more than a rag doll. Kara grabbed a small rock and flung it as hard as she could at the black menace. It didn't seem to hurt him, but it did surprise him. Touken's grip loosened a little bit, and that was all Kaji needed. She wrenched out of his grasp, and lunged at his leg. A crack followed by a yelp resounded around the room. Touken limped backward, but Kaji wasn't done with him. She leapt for his throat and pushed him to the floor. A few seconds later she let go of him, and he rose, but cowered before the enraged she wolf.

"Get out of our way, and do not tell anyone about this, although I doubt that you would tell anyone about how you were defeated by a small she-wolf and three human teenagers." Touken didn't move, he only whimpered. "Perhaps you didn't understand me. I said LEAVE!" Kaji launched forward and landed almost on top of him, held her head high, revealed all of her sharp fangs, and let out a terrifying growl. This got a response from Touken and he wheeled around and took off, moving as fast as he could with a broken leg.

Kaji slowly relaxed. She shook her fur out and turned to the girls. Even Adriane was impressed by this incredible wolf.

"Remind me never to make you angry", Kara said quietly.

"Good idea", Kaji chuckled, then turned serious. "Let's go before Touken tells on us."

"If you think he's going to tell on us, why did you let him go?" asked Emily.

After a moment of thought, Kaji answered quietly, "I may like to fight, but I don't like to kill." With that she turned and trotted down the next hall rather quickly. Up ahead, they could see light.

"Um, should the light be getting smaller the closer we get to it?" questioned Adriane, already knowing the answer.

"Oh no," Kaji took off at a dead run. On her way down the hall, she grabbed an iron floor-standing candelabra and held it in hopes of jamming the doors open. This failed, and she hit the door hard. She regained her paws just as the others came up beside her.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Emily. All three looked at Kaji who seemed to be deep in thought. She looked at the door and had an idea.

"That collar didn't allow me to use my true power, but now that it's off, perhaps I've gotten it back. Stand back."

Kaji waited for the others to get to a safe distance. Then she reared back onto her hind legs. When she came down she planted her front paws deep into the ground to brace her for the blast, and let loose a powerful beam of fire. She raced toward the door and hit it with her shoulder. The door gave way as though it was nothing more than a piece of paper. The others followed her quickly out. Kaji slowed her pace down to a steady trot to let the others catch up.

"Wow! You can use fire just like me!" Kara cried happily.

"I can use both fire and earth. Wait, you can use magic?"

"Yes. Kara uses fire. Adriane uses earth, and I use water", Emily explained. "We haven't been able to use our magic ever since we came here though."

They fell into a comfortable silence, when all four of them heard a shout from behind them.

"I knew he wouldn't keep his mouth shut!" Kaji howled in anger. "You go on ahead. I'll stall them." Kaji halted and turned around as the three girls continued on.

"What do you think she'll do to stop them?" Emily asked breathlessly. They heard the she-wolf howl and they turned their heads to look, never breaking stride. Kaji had created a wall of fire and was turning to follow them. "Apparently, that."

Kaji tore after the others. She stole a glance over her shoulder just in time to see that some of the Kakera stopped but others simply jumped through the blaze, although they did hesitate for a moment. Looking ahead to make sure the girls were a safe distance away, Kaji turned on her heel and reared back once more. However instead of blasting another wall of fire, her front legs went stiff and she slammed into the ground hard. It shook and broke apart, creating a wide fissure in the earth. The Kakera skidded to a stop at the very edge, knowing that they couldn't jump that distance. Kaji smiled as she ran down the slope to join the girls. They were looking at a wide river that ran directly in front of them.

"So, what do we do now?" Adriane was looking doubtfully from the river to the top of the hill. "That earthquake won't hold those…things back forever, will it?"

"No, it won't. We have to get across the river if we want to be completely sure that we'll be safe. It should stop the Kakera-" A windy sounding howl broke into Kaji's sentence. "Blast it! Now the Steel Wolves are after us! They can make that jump as though it's nothing more than a crack."

"What do you do?" asked Emily, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She remembered their attack far too well. "Build a raft?"

"Exactly. But we have to hurry!" They worked as fast as they could, using anything to form a sturdy raft, or at least something that would float and could get across. Another howl sounded, only much closer and much angrier. Kaji raced away from the girls up to the top of the hill.

"Where are you going? Are you going to leave us behind now that we're out?" shouted Kara, terrified that they would have to fight alone.

"No. Keep working. I'll tell you when to run." Kaji called back. The girls, not knowing what else they should do, followed her orders. Kaji stood still, watching and waiting for the Steel Wolves to jump the fissure. "GO!" she nearly screamed at them. Kara, Adriane, and Emily shoved their makeshift raft into the water and leapt onto it.

They turned just in time to see Kaji get buried beneath a mountain of the iron wolves. A powerful blast of fire freed her and she took off along the edge of the river. She jumped on top of a mound of rocks and let loose another blast of fire, taking out five more wolves. She saw several wolves attempt to make the leap after the girls, but another blast from her took them out. Two wolves Jumped onto Kaji's back, burying their teeth into her neck and shoulder. With a howl of rage she threw them off and they landed in the water. Looking back at the girls, Kaji saw that they had made their way to the other side. _Good. The wolves can't make that jump, and the water would destroy them. Now's my chance! _With a final blast of fire, this one much larger than the others, she leapt into the water. She struggled to the surface and began to swim with all of her remaining strength to the other side.


	6. Chapter 6: An Explaination

Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.

Chapter 6: An Explanation 

"Here she comes. Grab her!" Adriane cried, jumping into the river and swimming out to Kaji. Kaji had stopped swimming, the last of her strength spent. Adriane swam out about 10 yards and grabbed onto the wolf's coat, helping to keep her head above water. Slowly she started to swim back to shore with the animal in tow. Kara and Emily waded out and helped to move Kaji onto dry ground.

Kaji spluttered and coughed up a good amount of water. She shakily got to her paws and stumbled into the forest a little way before collapsing in a clearing. The girls followed her quietly, ready to help her.

"Are you alright?" Emily said softly. Kaji only nodded in reply, trying to catch her breath. "Ugh! I feel so useless! If only I had my magic, I could help you!" she suddenly blurted out.

Kaji opened her eyes and looked at the distressed girl. "What do you mean?"

"Adriane put her arm around Emily's shoulders and answered, "Along with being able to use certain elements, we have our own special powers. I'm a Warrior-"

"I'm a Blazing Star. I help to boost their magic", Kara broke in.

"-And Emily's a Healer", Adriane finished, shooting Kara an annoyed glance. Emily was shaking slightly, trying to hold back tears.

"If I sniff could use my magic, I could help you." Emily finally broke down. Kaji grunted as she got to her feet and limped over to the girl. She looked at Emily, who threw her arms around the wolf's neck. She buried her face into her fur, which grew wet with her tears. The other two placed their hands on her shoulders and whispered comfortingly to her. Finally, Emily stopped crying and sat back. Kaji looked at her with gentle eyes and smiled. 

"So, Kaji…um…" Kara began, but stopped unsure how to ask a question that had been bothering her.

"You want to know what's going on?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind explaining."

"I don't mind at all." Kaji laid down and turned to look at the girls. Emily curled up next to her, feeling safe but embarrassed about crying in front of her friends. "I'm actually not a wolf, but a type of fairy. Akuma turned me into this, along with my brother, Kaiyou. WE are the true rulers of Mahou."

"Mahou?" asked Kara.

"Yes. That is the name of this world. Anyway, Akuma is our uncle. He used to be a rather good fellow too. But one day he decided that he should rule Mahou. He killed my parents, Cira and Usagi. Then he turned my brother and I into wolves so that the people of this world wouldn't know us and hopefully wouldn't rise up against him. I helped my brother to escape, but I was nearly killed in the process of protecting him. That was the day that this planet turned gray. It felt as though all of the color decided to leave it."

"How sad", Emily whispered.

"Yeah. Kaji, you said that both of you were rulers. Why is that? I thought that if there were two members in a royal family that the older would be king or queen and the other would be a duke or duchess", Kara said.

"In some cultures, yes. But there is a reason for having siblings rule. We balance each other out. In case you haven't noticed, but I have the power of fire and earth. My brother is the opposite of me; he uses water and air. We balance each other and in turn keep the power of this world balanced. Without the other, the world would fall into chaos, like it did now. This also means that if one of us dies, so does the other. The only way to keep this from happening is if one of us gives some of our power to the other. That will keep us alive for a little while until the given power is returned to the right owner. In the direst situations, we can give all of our power to the other. Then if the one who gave up their power is killed, the other can continue living, and ruling, without the need of the other."

"What about those creatures?" asked Adriane. "What happened to them?"

"The Kakera were once the people of the land. As Akuma gained more power and spread his evil ways, he destroyed villages. He would take certain people, usually the biggest and strongest, as prisoners and gave them a choice: become part of his army and live or be killed. Most decided to join him. Those that did, he…cursed in a way. They're appearance changed to what it is, and they became much stronger. In their minds, they only have two thoughts: kill and obey his orders alone. The only draw back to this is that they also became very foolish."

"Is there any way to change them back?"

Kaji thought for a moment, then replied, "Only one. If Akuma is destroyed, they will return to their normal selves."

"What about the…the Steel Wolves? Were they normal wolves and changed into those monsters?" asked Emily, always concerned about the animals.

"No, they are creatures entirely of Akuma's creation. He created a wolf with iron and steel, then using magic trapped a spirit inside of the wolf."

"I'm guessing they're also under his control entirely", quipped Kara.

"Exactly. You've already found the only way to release them."

"Break the shell."

"Precisely. Now, if you don't mind, I'm rather tired. Perhaps it's time to rest."

"Are you sure we'll be safe here?" yawned Emily.

Kaji smiled down at her. "For now, yes. Good night, and I'll yawn see you in the morning."


	7. Chapter 7: Panic in the Library

Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.

Chapter 7: Panic in the Library 

"What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?" yelled Ozzie as he ran in endless circles.

_"First we relax,"_ barked Dreamer, catching Ozzie with one paw.

"Oof! Thank you. Now what?"

_"Now we contact Zach," _replied the emerald-eyed black wolf.

"Where are the dragonflies? OH GUYS! COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!" yelled Ozzie at the top of his lungs. "HELLO DRAGON-" Lyra clamped a paw over the ferret's mouth.

_"Let me handle this. Goldie, Barney, Fiona, Blaze, Freddie, we need your help."_

Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. Five miniature dragon burst into the room in a shower of little sparks.

_"Alright, at attention. We need to talk to Zach. Can you find him?"_

Goldie nodded her little head vigorously and squeaked some orders at the others. Then the dragonflies linked their claws together and started spinning rapidly. In a moment, Zach's face appeared in the circle.

"Lyra? Is that you?" the blonde-haired boy asked. Looking past her, he realized something was wrong. "Where are the others?"

_"We don't know,"_ replied Dreamer.

"I found this emblem, then it turned into a portal and the girls were sucked in!" cried Ozzie, holding up the emblem for Zach to see.

"Hmm. I don't know anything about that. I'll see what I can find out. I hope the girls are alright." The sound of a loud roar came out of no where. "Sorry! Got to run! Drake ate something that isn't agreeing with his stomach and now that dragon has a tummy ache!" The window closed after that.

"Oookay. Well, thanks dragonflies," said a worried Ozzie. The five dragons nodded their heads and disappeared with another barricade of popping sounds.

_"That only made me more worried. If he doesn't know anything about that symbol, then who does?"_ Dreamer asked.

As if on cue, the library door opened and an old woman walked in. It was Adriane's grandmother. She looked at the three animals and then at the emblem that was still in Ozzie's paw. She walked over and gently took it from him.

Her mouth formed the words "Cira and Usagi" as she looked at it closely. She placed it back on the desk and scratched Ozzie under the chin and patted Dreamer on the head. She nodded at Lyra and left the room with a knowing smile.

"That was strange," Ozzie said quietly as soon as he was sure that Grandmother Charday was out of earshot.

_"Oddly enough, I think she knows something,"_ Lyra said thoughtfully.

_"She didn't seem worried. I think that Adriane, Kara, and Emily aren't in danger. At least, I hope,"_ whimpered Dreamer.

He had no idea of just how much danger they girls were in right now.

**Oooh, scary ending. I think that Grandmother Charday does know what's going on. I should know; I wrote the chapter…Anyhow, I really want to know what you think of it so far. Next chapter: Kaiyou is introduced, and something terrible happens. (As if you already didn't have enough of a cliff hanger to deal with!) Be patient with me!**


	8. Chapter 8: A Deadly Reunion

**At least I didn't make you wait very long for the next chapter. Aren't I nice like that? Here's the short-awaited chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 8: A Deadly Reunion 

Back on Mahou. The little party had entered into a system of canyons. Kaji was as alert as she could possibly be. Her eyes traveled warily around the ledges. She jumped at every little sound.

"Kaji, are you okay?" asked Emily. Her voice sounded too loud even though she was whispering.

"I feel as though we are being watched," she answered softly.

"_Good observation, wolf. Too bad it's a little late!"_

The troop whipped around to see five, enormous, red-eyed black cats. Kaji leapt at the largest as Emily grabbed a large stick and swung it at the nearest cat, knocking it into the canyon wall. The force of the blow caused a small rock fall that knocked the cat out cold. Adriane landed well-aimed, strong kicks at the smaller cat that had pounced at Kara. She grabbed a large rock and hit the cat over the head, and it slid to the ground, unconscious.

Kaji had been pinned by the other three cats. Just as the largest was about to deal the fatal blow, a powerful jet of water knocked all three aside. A blue-silver wolf landed next to Kaji as she got to her paws.

"What took you so long?"

"Well, I've been busy too."

Simultaneously, the wolves launched themselves at the cats. With a blast of fire, Kaji fairly roasted one of the smaller one's, and Kaiyou slashed at another. As those two turned tail and ran, the largest one sprang at the girls. With a snarl, Kaji landed heavily on it's back and bit deep into it's throat. The cat fell to the ground and coughed.

"_Alright, alright. You win."_

Kaji thought for a moment and let the cat up. It streaked off, but as soon as her back was turned, it leapt for her. Fortunately, Kaiyou launched himself at the cat, and grabbed it's throat. It fell again and didn't get up.

"Let's get out of here!" Kaji said, and all of them ran as fast as they could away from the battle site.

As they neared the end of the canyon, they realized that it became a Y. Slowing their pace, Adriane seemed to decide it was time for some more explanations. "Thanks for your help, but just who are you?" she demanded, her tone coming out angrier than she expected it to.

The blue-silver wolf didn't seem at all affected by it, and replied calmly and in a regal voice, "I am Kaiyou, the brother of Kaji."

"Kaiyou, you don't have to act like a king in front of them. I mean, they're just some friends of mine, not subjects of any sort", Kaji said good-naturedly. Turning to the others, she added, "Kaiyou wants to be a king in every aspect, but I'm happy with just being a guardian of sorts."

"But, I have to let them know that I am the rightful king, just as you are the rightful queen…"

"You don't have to," Kaji replied, emphasizing every word. "They're not from around here. In fact, they helped me to escape from Akuma's grasp."

"They did? Er, I mean, em, thank you, kind friends. Your help is appreciated," Kaiyou said, still trying to be as much of a king as he possibly could.

Kaji just rolled her eyes. "Kaiyou really is normal. He just takes his role a little too seriously. Get to know him, I'm sure you'll like him."

"Kaji, I was going to rescue you. At the time I was gathering an army to help out-"

"And a group of teenage girls beat you to it. At least now I know why you're acting so weird, you're trying to save face in front of them!" Kaji began laughing out loud. Kaiyou growled playfully and leapt on his sister and nipped at her ear. She batted him away and they just smiled at each other before embracing.

As Kara watched, her thoughts turned to her own brother. _Why can't we be like that?_

"Hello? Earth to Kara?" The blonde girl was brought out of her thoughts by Adriane's voice.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. My thoughts were-"

She was cut off mid sentence by a shout. "Geez, does he ever run out of Kakera?!" Kaji yelped. "We have to get out of here!"

"Which way?" her brother asked, looking at the two forks of the Y.

"You and the others go right. I'll go left and act as a decoy to lead them away."

"Are you sure?" Emily asked, worried about her friend. "What if they capture you again?"

"They won't. Now go!" Kaji nearly shouted at them. Turning to her brother, she shot a small blast of fire at him, barely more then what you see when you light a candle. "Just in case," she said quietly.

Kaiyou nodded at his younger sister. "Let's go!" he barked. Kaji let them go off down the right-hand path then sealed it up with fire. Leaping down onto the left-hand one, she waited for the Kakera.

"This way!" a voice shouted. Soon a small troop of them came into view. "Where did they go?" "Down the path of fire, most likely." "I'm not going that way!" "Not me either!"

Kaji gave a sharp bark, getting their attention. "Look! There's the fire wolf! Get her!" Kaji took off down the trail, leading the troop away from her brother and her friends. She raced through a small thicket of trees and bushes, with the Kakera right behind her. As they emerged from the other side, they looked around, extremely confused. "Where is she?" "She had to have come this way, right?" With a roar, Kaji sprang out of a thorn bush at the troop, the startled Kakera stood there dumbly for a moment, giving her enough time to take out two of the creatures. A blast of fire finished off three more, and with that she started to run again. Kaji came up a small rise. When the ground leveled out, the terrain had become much more dangerous. On her right was a steep hillside, and on her left was a drop-off.

Meanwhile, Kaiyou and the girls had made it out of the canyon. Together they ran up the side of a hill. When they reached the top, they could see Kaji and her pursuers. They saw several Kakera take aim at her with bows. Three arrows buried themselves deep into her shoulder. With a cry, Kaji fell over the drop-off.

"No!" howled Kaiyou. "Please be alright, please!" he pleaded desperately. As though some angel had heard his pleas, Kaji came into view, still running in spite of the arrows. Apparently, this angel then decided it had better things to do. To the horror of the watchers, Akuma, riding an evil-looking black horse, came into view after her. They watched helplessly as the warlock caught up to her and drew his sword. With one quick slash, they heard Kaji cry out, then fall in a crumpled heap on the ground. Akuma rode away, leaving the still she-wolf on the ground.

**Really scary ending. I won't tell you if she's all right or not, but reread chapter 6 for a clue.**


	9. Chapter 9: Fire and Water

Have you figured out the clue yet

**Have you figured out the clue yet. You probably did, but I'm still not going to tell you anything!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 9: Fire and Water

"Nononononono!" Kara cried helplessly as she looked at the small pile of wolf fur. Kaji's coat lost its golden shine and was dark brown. Emily looked close to tears again, and Adriane seemed unable to do much of anything else aide from staring at the still body.

"Stay here," Kaiyou rasped, his voice both somber and weak. His fur was not as sleek as it was before, but instead a dull gray color.

_She's dead, _Adriane thought. _The only thing keeping him alive is that small flame._

Kaiyou slowly made his way down the slope, stumbling twice. He staggered toward his fallen sister, and nearly collapsed next to her. Using one claw, he drew a flame in the ground and next to it an upside-down teardrop. He carefully hollowed out the teardrop and filled it with water. Piling dried grass in the flame, he used Kaji's fire to light it. After completing this, Kaiyou returned the remaining fire power to his sister. He clambered to his paws and with one last glance at Kaji, trotted steadily up the hill.

_He looks better now. His fur is turning silver again. Kaji's coat looks as though it is still the same, _Adriane thought as she put an arm around Emily.

As Kaiyou reached the top, he glanced back at Kaji then turned to the girls. "Will she be okay?" Emily asked, even though her voice was shaking.

"I believe so…I hope so." Kaiyou paused. "But now, I must go back to the army. It is time to fight Akuma."

"I'll come," Kara spoke up suddenly. Her eyes burned with anger. The others looked at her in surprise.

"So will I," Emily added. Her voice had stopped wavering and she had straightened up. She too had a fierce look in her eyes.

"And I," Adriane joined in. "I don't know how the others feel, but anyone who hurts my friends will have to deal with me." The other two nodded in agreement.

Kaiyou considered this then gave a single sharp nod. "Fine. Follow me. I can feel my strength returning." Indeed, his coat had almost returned to its original shade of blue and silver. Looking back over his shoulder one last time, he picked up a steady lope, with the girls following close behind him.

"We are here," Kaiyou said. The team had arrived at the top of a hill and was looking down into the valley. In it a makeshift camp had been created, and was teaming with all sorts of creatures. Some the girls knew, like the Pegasi who were being fitted with a type of armor. Others were entirely new to them, such as a creature that had the head and tail of a lion, and the body of a horse. One of these beings greeted them as they came into the camp.

"Welcome back, Kaiyou," it said in a deep voice. "I see you've brought some help." It laughed loudly, but not unkindly, when it saw the girls step back a little. "Do not worry! I am Sobou, the Keiba." Turning to Kaiyou, Sobou added, "If they are that afraid of me, do you think it's wise to bring them into battle?"

Adriane felt insulted by the Keiba, and stepped forward in defiance. "I saw my friend killed today, and I would do anything to avenge that death," She said angrily. The other girls stepped up right behind her. This earned her another laugh from the creature.

"Such ferocity! Come with me then." With that, Sobou turned and walked away. Adriane and Emily followed quickly, but Kara hesitated. When Sobou looked over her shoulder at Kara, the girl jumped and scuttled after the others, still trying to maintain a tough-girl attitude. Sobou smiled to herself and walked into a forest-green tent. "Here is where we keep the weaponry. Take your pick, but make sure it is something you would feel comfortable using."

After looking around, Adriane chose a beautiful sword. It was steel with a black hilt and a small turquoise stone set into it. _Just like Dreamer's collar, _she thought with a pang at remembering her bonded animal and best friend._ I hope he isn't too worried about me._

Kara came back with arrows and a bow_. The feathers on the arrows are as beautiful as Lyra's wing feathers, _she thought sadly. She missed the cat so much.

Emily, who did not like fighting, chose a spear. It was enough for her to use to protect herself, but she could also use its shaft to fight rather than kill with the sharp tip. For some unknown reason, her thoughts were brought back to Ozzie. _Perhaps because he's two things in one: an elf and a ferret, _she thought with a giggle_. No, he's much more than that. A friend, a mentor, a wisecracker, a critter with a bottomless stomach...I miss him so much._

The girls emerged from the tent and walked over to Kaiyou and Sobou who were talking together. Adriane, Emily, and Kara looked at each other, nodded, and said in unison, "We're ready."


	10. Chapter 10: The Fight

**Sorry that I took so long! I was away camping, and then the Internet wouldn't work for a while. But I'm back, I promise to finish this story, even if it kills me…okay, I may not go that far, but you get the idea!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 10: The Fight 

The opposing sides stood still, measuring each other up. The girls stood, looking uneasy with the situation, but determined to help. Kaiyou walked forward to the head of his army. Akuma did the same. Looking at each other through rage-filled eyes, both cried the attack signal at the same time. The warriors surged forward.

Though the girls tried to stay together, Emily was separated from the rest. A bear-like animal that was covered with dragon scales cornered her. It raised its massive paw up when an angry voice howled "Don't you dare!" A fiery blast and a red-gold body slamming into the monster shortly followed the cry. She grabbed the beast's neck in her powerful jaws and flung it to the side. "Miss me?" she asked the dumfounded girl.

"Kaji?!" squeaked Emily, dropping the spear in awe.

"The one and only," the she-wolf replied with a smirk. Kicking the spear back to Emily, she added "Now let's go! Adriane and Kara are probably wondering where you are!" With that, girl and wolf raced through the fighters. Ahead, Kara and Adriane were fending off several Kakera. Another blast from Kaji solved that problem.

The two girls whipped around as Kaiyou came bounding over. Upon seeing his sister, the blue-silver wolf yipped joyfully and nuzzled Kaji. Adriane was too amazed to form a coherent sentence, while Kara merely open and closed her mouth without making a sound (quite a rarity for her).

Kaji gently pulled away from the embrace. Turning to the battle, she howled and launched herself towards it. Kaiyou nearly burst out laughing. "She is the only creature that I know who can die and still be ready to fight!" Nodding to the girls, they raced after Kaji.

Kaji had a large bear-beast pinned and was fending off another two. Kaiyou blasted one with water, and Adriane's sword sent the other scampering away. But the pinned monster flipped Kaji over and went for her throat. Its jaws narrowly missed Kaji as she twisted off to the side. The enraged animal rose up onto its hind legs and sent the she-wolf flying with one swipe of a massive paw. Kaji hit a rock and fell to the ground, too dazed to move as it charged at her. Kara raised her bow, closed her eyes, and loosed an arrow. The head found its mark in the thing's neck. It stumbled then fell, lifeless. Kara opened her eyes and was quite surprised at the results. "Thanks," Kaji said. "But next time, I'd appreciate it if you would keep your eyes open!"

They leapt back into the fray of fur, claws, and steel. Just as Kaji brought down an impressively large Kakera, a dark shape caught her eye. Turning her head, she saw Akuma galloping up a steep slope, accompanied by several other unidentifiable forms. _Akuma...If I kill him, all this will stop. _Her thoughts were broken by another assault by a smallish Kakera. Looking into its eyes, a strange realization came to her. _I remember that look. I carried it too in my own eyes. It is not the look of hate, but of fear...of pain. They don't want to do this, none of his army do! Akuma is using them as he once used me! _She released the creature from her grasp. It looked up at her in wonder, then took off, hoping it would get away without her noticing.

Kaji turned to look at the fighters. Her gaze fell upon the girls. _They don't have to do this. But they do. They want to end this entire thing. _She saw her brother, battling and protecting at the same time. _I know what I must do. But I am frightened. _Memories flashed before her eyes. Her parents' blood, her brother running in fear, her capture, the pain from the collar, the gentleness of the three humans, their bravery, her brother's love, the eyes of the Kakera. She let her gaze linger on the girls once more. _I will._

Rearing up, Kaji brought her paws to the ground, burying them deeper than she ever had before. Opening her mouth, she took careful aim, and fired a blast more powerful than anything else. But it was not meant to hurt anyone.

Kaiyou looked up in surprise as something extremely hot hit his side. Turning to its source, he saw his little sister pouring out all of her power in that single blast of fire. _Giving it to me, _he realized with sadness. Finally, Kaji had nothing left to give. Her red-gold fur was now brown, the white mark on her head was gone. She was nothing more now than an ordinary wolf. No magic, no fire, nothing more than an animal with teeth and fangs to fight with. Sadly bowing her head towards him, she turned and sprinted up the hill, towards the mountains.

Kara, Adriane, and Emily stopped fighting as soon as they realized Kaiyou was gone. Looking where he used to be standing, an enormous silver wolf had taken his place. The tips of his fur were tinged with gold, and in the middle of its forehead was a perfect circle, half-black and half-white. The wolf turned its head towards them. His eyes were dark with grief. "She's gone," Kaiyou whispered.

Emily looked frantic. "Where is Kaji? What happened?!"

"She gave her power to me," He said in a hoarse voice. "Kaji left."

Kara looked annoyed. "So she just waltzed away and left us here to finish?!" she half cried, half snarled.

"I think she found Akuma…right?" Adriane asked. Kaiyou nodded.

"She's going to try to kill him. Without her power." Kaiyou turned back to the fight. As though reading the girls' minds he quietly said, "We cannot join her. This is her battle alone." He added, in a voice that was barely audible, "Be safe little sis…Be safe." He leapt into the fight, releasing a powerful fire blast. The girls followed him, praying the Kaji knew what she was doing.

Kaji smiled to herself, feeling her brother with her in spirit. Kaji knew that they would be strong even without her. She tore off up the hill even faster, taking the same path that Akuma had taken. Kaji prepared for the fierce battles that awaited her. She failed to notice the prints that she ran along side of: the prints of two giant cats and one, slightly limping, monstrous wolf.

**Yet another cliffhanger. Don't ya just hate me now? Don't worry, I promise to have the next chapter up as soon as I can.**


	11. Chapter 11: Warlock vs Lone Wolf

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 11: Warlock vs. Lone Wolf

Kaji raced through the path between the mountains. It was narrow, and tall rock walls formed the boundaries of the path. She gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the sharp rocks that bit into the sensitive pads of her feet. A scent hit her nose, and she nearly turned around. It was the smell of death, and the stench was nearly unbearable. The rock walls connected overhead, plunging Kaji into darkness. _I can't see...That smell...It keeps getting stronger. _Suddenly, the rock ceiling disappeared. She was temporarily blinded by light. A mocking voice met her ears. A voice she hoped never to hear again. Her heart thudded to a stop.

"Hello, Kaji. Did you miss me?"

Kaji blinked rapidly in hopes of regaining her vision faster. _Not fast enough_, she thought as sharp fangs bit into her shoulder. Twisting her body around, she managed to throw her attacker of balance. Opening her eyes again, Kaji saw her opponent for the first time. Touken crawled to his feet. _Looks like his leg still hurts him_, she noted. The larger wolf was being very careful not to put any weight on the previously broken leg. A low hiss came from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Kaji saw two black cats. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized them.

"_Remember us, wolf?" _the larger snarled. _"You're going to pay for what happened in the canyon."_

Kaji readied herself to blast them with fire, but remembered too late that she was without power. Touken laughed evilly, noticing her weakness.

"Too bad you were too stubborn to follow Akuma. He was always stronger than your parents were. If you joined us, you would have lived. You would have been a great addition to our forces."

Signaling to the two cats, they leapt at the small wolf in unison. Kaji whirled and caught the smaller cat in her teeth and bit down hard. It gave a startled yelp, but before she could finish it off, the weight of the other two forced her to let go. She rolled onto her back and kicked upward with her hind paws. They caught cat number two square in the stomach. It hit the wall with a yowl and lay on the ground half-stunned. A low rumble resounded through the area, and a small rock fall fell onto the still form, burying it.

By now the smaller one had recovered and pounced again. Kaji maneuvered herself so the Touken was between her and the cat. Touken howled in anger as the beast's claws slashed into his side. He released his grip on Kaji. Taking her chance, she sprang forward at the staggering wolf. _I will not make the same mistake twice_, she thought. She closed her eyes as her jaws closed around Touken's neck. She clamped down, and she felt his breathing stop a moment later. Dropping the still wolf, Kaji turned toward the cat. It looked uncertain. Kaji took a menacing step forward. That was all the incentive the animal needed. It turned tail and fled back the way she had come.

_Three down, who knows how many are left to go._ Kaji turned to another path between the walls. Sniffing the air, she picked up Akuma's scent, but no other. _Apparently, only one. He planned carefully. He left those three behind to weaken me, if not stop me. It worked. I...I can't keep this up..._

An image flashed through her mind. Her brother when they were still children, before her parents were murdered. _WE should make a vow to each other_, he had said. _We should never give up unless we've stopped breathing. Are you in on it Kaji? _

_Yes_. That was her answer, then and now. Throwing her head back, she howled long and clear. It was a message to Kaiyou that she was still alive, and one to Akuma. _I am here, and I will not lose to you_, she howled to him. She scented the wind again. She smelled the warlock and…

_Fear. He is afraid of me. But I am not afraid of him. Not any more_, Kaji thought as she sprang forward. Each stride brought her closer to her enemy. Leaping over rocks, she gained speed. The walls fell away around her. She now ran along bridge of rock. Ahead she saw Akuma astride his horse in the middle of a platform. She howled again in hopes of terrifying his horse. It worked marvelously. It reared up, throwing Akuma off its back. It charged toward her, something she hadn't expected. Kaji dropped and rolled, and the hooves missed her by inches as it jumped over her and galloped away.

Kaji sprang to her paws and faced Akuma. The warlock stood up. Drawing his sword, he smiled darkly. "You look different," he sneered. "Ah, I see. You gave up your magic in hopes of protecting your foolish friends and your precious brother. No matter. I can kill you just as easily without my magic."

Brandishing the sword, Akuma vaulted himself at her. Kaji was ready and caught the blade in her teeth and clawed at him with her front paws. He wrenched his weapon from her mouth and sprang away. Kaji jumped at him with her jaws open, but his sword came up. She twisted out of the way just in time, and the blade missed her by centimeters. Rolling to her paws, Kaji came in low to the ground, hoping to get a hold of one of his legs. She saw a flash of cold steel coming toward her left eye. Before she could move, it hit its mark. The she-wolf howled in pain and staggered to the right. The left side of her face burned with pain. It was warm and wet. _With my blood_, she thought as she realized she was now blind in her left eye. Kaji closed her good eye in pain and defeat. She could hear Akuma laughing.

"You are exactly like your mother and my dear old brother," Akuma jeered at her. "Foolish, weak, and easily killed!"

Her eye shot open. _How dare he says that! I will avenge my parents! I will KILL him! _Kaji Spun around to face him, anger lending her strength. She leapt, catching Akuma off guard, and bit into his arm. He screamed in pain and dropped the sword. He dropped to his knees and groped around for its hilt. Kaji kicked it away and pounced again. Her paw landed on his throat when something sharp hit her side. She yelped and jumped away. Akuma stood up and held up a dagger.

"I will not lose to some sniveling girl!" he snarled under his breath. He lunged for her, but Kaji rolled out of his reach. He landed heavily on a ledge. Kaji stalked toward him, wary of the dagger. She felt the rock shake slightly as she stepped onto the ledge. _It can't hold both of us_, she thought, frozen for fear of it crumbling beneath her. Akuma lunged at her while she was distracted. Kaji yelped and scooted forward, and the dagger narrowly missed her shoulder. The rock beneath them groaned in protest to the added weight.

Akuma was now crazed with the want for blood. Jumping at her again, Kaji ducked. Akuma sailed over her and hit the ledge. The rock crumbled beneath them. Akuma screamed in terror as he fell. Kaji for the platform just as the rock fell away. She closed her eye and prayed that her paws would meet solid ground.


	12. Chapter 12: The Steel Wolf

Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.

Chapter 12: The Steel Wolf 

"Behind you!" Emily yelled to Adriane.

The black haired girl whirled around to see a Kakera racing toward her at an incredible speed, its spear aimed at her. Adriane raised her sword. The Kakera lunged forward, and suddenly stopped. The look of hate that was plastered on its face disappeared. It dropped its weapon as its eyes widened in amazement as a white mist surrounded it entirely. When the mist vanished, a young sprite stood in its place. It looked up at Adriane with joy in his large eyes. Adriane stared at it, unsure of what happened or of what she should do.

"Guys, look!" Kara said quietly, pointing at the battlefield. Turning to look, Adriane and Emily saw the same transfiguration occurring everywhere. Kakera became elves, dwarfs, fairies, sprites and other humanoid creatures. The black cats became cats similar to Lyra, and some even became regular house cats! The black horses transformed into unicorns and pegasi, and the bear creatures became regular brown bears and polar bears.

Kaiyou was fighting with a bear-beast when the transformation occurred. He blasted it with fire when it suddenly stopped. AS the monster became a brown bear, Kaiyou went through his own transformation. The gold in his fur disappeared. He returned to his original size, and the white mark on his forehead vanished. He turned to look at the girls who were racing to him.

"What happened…to the Kakera…and the others?" Emily panted breathlessly.

"I—I think Akuma is dead," Kaiyou replied, slightly shaken by what had happened. He felt weaker without the power of fire within him. _So this is how Kaji felt when she gave up her magic. _

"And you…You're you again," Adriane added with some confusion.

Kaiyou looked down at himself. "Yes. I am. The power of fire has left me. This means Kaji is either dead, or…"

A loud howl broke into his sentence. The wolf, girls, and all of the others looked to see a red-gold wolf standing in the opening of the path in the mountains. Her call faded as she down at her friends. She howled again as she leapt forward, running to them.

Kaiyou took off to his sister. She tackled him playfully. The two were untangling themselves from each other as the girls reached them.

"Kaji! I—We thought you were dead!" Adriane cried happily.

"Please! I've come too far to be beaten by a crazy warlock!" Kaji laughed out.

Emily's smile fled from her face as she looked at the she-wolf. Her eyes fell upon the gashes that criss-crossed her shoulders and the dried blood that coated the left side of her face. The redhead reached out and gently took Kaji's head in her hands. Wiping away the blood, she gasped in horror at the sight of the wounded eye. Kaji pulled away. "You sometimes have to make sacrifices to help others," she said quietly.

Kaji turned to look at the warriors who stood staring at her. The sprite that had originally tried to attack Adriane stepped forward with Sobou. "Thank you. I am Sennyu, the youngest warrior of the sprites. I was friends with Sobou long before any of this started. When Akuma destroyed my village, I was the only one he spared, and that was only if I joined him. I am sorry that I was a cause for all of this."

"We all are!" a polar bear cried from the crowd. Murmurs of agreement came from the others.

Kaji drew herself up as Kaiyou came to stand beside her. "None of this was the fault of anyone here. Akuma is the only one who carries the blame."

A small elf stepped forward. "I am Hana. How did you kill him? Many of us tried, but we all failed. How did you do it alone?" she asked in a small, scared voice.

Kaji smiled gently at her. "I didn't. He did it himself. Akuma's was driven so much for my blood that he didn't even realize the danger we were both in. The ledge we were battling on gave away beneath us, and he fell to his death. I must admit, I am glad he died that way. I did not want to kill him. If I did, I would have been a murderer like him, and that is the last thing I wanted to be."

A low rumble came from the distance, followed by another. The ground shook slightly with each rumble. Kaji looked behind her to see something that nearly made her heart stop. An enormous Steel Wolf was approaching. This one was much bigger than any of the others they had seen before. An image flashed through Kaji's mind. _The girls were on a raft. Kaji stood at the top of a small mountain of rocks, blasting fire at an incredible number of Steel Wolves._

"Oh boy," she mumbled.

"What is it?" Kaiyou asked. The girls looked at her in curiosity.

"Perhaps using fire attacks on wolves made of metal wasn't such a good idea," Kaji said sheepishly.

"You did it to help us. How could you have known?" Emily replied trying to comfort her.

"What's done is done. There are more of us now than before. We can defeat it together!" Sobou roared over the sound of the monster's footsteps. Others raised their voice in agreement.

Kaji looked at her brother. Kaiyou stared into her eye and nodded. Turning to the others, he howled over the noise, "No. This is a battle meant only for my sister and I. We will be victorious!"

The wolves streaked up the hill toward the Steel Wolf. They stopped at the top, and looked at each other again. "Ladies first," Kaiyou said with a nervous giggle.

Kaji aimed at the thing's chest and blasted it with fire. She nodded to her brother, who hit it with a jet of water. The two wolves did this over and over.

"The Steel Wolf isn't slowing down!" Kara cried out.

Adriane had realized what the siblings were doing and yelled back, "It's not meant to stop it. It's meant to weaken the metal!"

Kaji and Kaiyou began to race toward the Wolf, keeping up their attack. The monster opened its mouth. "See you soon, bro." "You too, sis." And with that, brother and sister leapt into the Steel Wolf's gaping jaws.


	13. Chapter 13: Victory!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 13: Victory!

Outlines of silver ghosts floated past them. Kaji spun around and around looking for Kaiyou. _It feels as though I'm drowning...Drowning in ghosts..._She saw her brother 'swimming' to her side. Nodding to each other, they aimed, from the inside of the Wolf, at the spot where they had originally been attacking and fired in unison. The beast let out a screech as the front of its chest blew out. It fell to the ground, creating a small earthquake.

The girls held their breath in anticipation. Then they saw the metal shift. Kaji and Kaiyou emerged without a scratch. Behind them, the sprits of all sorts of creatures followed them out. Many were rejoicing at their freedom, others looking around them in wonder. The wolves trotted over to Emily, Adriane, and Kara. The girls caught them up in a group hug, laughing all the while.

"Are we interrupting anything?" a deep voice asked.

Turning, the five friends saw a tall silver fairy standing next to a smaller one.

"Mom! Dad!" Kaji barked, jumping forward. The smaller one bent down and caught her daughter in a hug. Kaiyou introduced the spirits to the girls.

"Our father is Usagi-" the taller nodded "-and our mother is Cira." Cira looked up from her embrace and smiled.

"I am sorry for the trouble my brother has caused," Usagi rumbled again. "It was horrible to be trapped inside that body and be forced to attack my own daughter."

"I'm sorry for practically destroying you, Dad," Kaji said coming over to her father. He smiled down at her.

Cira stood up and looked around. "I can't believe that one person caused all of this," she said sadly, surveying the gray landscape. Turning to her children, her smile renewed, she asked, "Are you ready to return to your true forms?"

Kaiyou nodded vigorously, but Kaji seemed hesitant. "One question: Will we still be able to return to this form, a wolf, whenever we want to?" All of them looked at her in surprise. "What? I've just grown rather fond of this…"

Usagi laughed in a thunderous voice. "Of course!"

"Well then, yes, I am!"

Both Kaji and Kaiyou closed their eyes as a silvery mist surrounded them. Around them, the grass went from gray to green. The color spread out from that spot. Flowers became vibrant with color, the sky became the most beautiful shades of blue, and the mountains went from forbidding to majestic. The mist around them cleared.

Kaji transformed into beautiful young girl. Her long hair was red with gold streaks in it. She wore what looked like a ruby red tank top and an even darker red skirt. From her back, red wings with yellow inclusions spread from her back and fluttered as she stretched them out. A small scar ran across her left eye, reminding them of what had happened.

Kaiyou was slightly taller than his sister. His hair was short and spiky, and a mix of silver and blue. His shirt was blue, and his pants were navy blue. His wings were different shades of blue.

They opened their eyes and looked at each other. They caught each other in a large hug, and Kaji had small tears coming down her cheeks.

Cira and Usagi smiled at their children. After a moment, Usagi cleared his throat. "It is time for you two to become the king and queen of Mahou." They broke off their hug and kneeled before him. Their parents stepped forward, and a silence fell upon the land. Every eye was on the former king and queen and their son and daughter.

"For several moons, Mahou has gone without its true rulers and it has fallen on hard times," Usagi began. "The time has come for it to regain its king and queen. Kaji, will you work with all your strength, mind, spirit, and heart to restore your home to its former self?"

"Yes. I will as long as there is breath in me and even beyond that," Kaji said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Her father moved forward and placed a thin gold band on her head. "Then from now on, you are Kaji, the Queen of Mahou."

Cira then stepped forward. "Kaiyou, will you work with all your strength, mind, spirit, and heart to restore your home to its former self?"

"Yes. I will as long as there is breath in me and even beyond that," he said quietly.

She to stepped to her son, and placing a silver band on his head said, "Then from now on you are Kaiyou, the King of Mahou."

"Rule with grace, gentleness, and strength until your own children take your place. Rise and defend your home forever," Usagi and Cira said in unison.

Kaji and Kaiyou stood and bowed to their parents. The gathered crowd cheered with joy. Even the girls joined in. The siblings hugged their parents.

"We must go now," Cira said. "Don't worry, we'll always be watching over you." Usagi nodded and, together, the formers rulers faded away. Kaji and Kaiyou hugged each other again and watched as their parents disappeared. Kaji broke away from the embrace first and walked to the girls.

"I must thank you as well."

"Why? We didn't do anything!" Adriane said surprised. Emily and Kara nodded in agreement.

"You did more than your realize. You freed me, and your friendship kept me going even when I had lost all hope. Thank you so much," Kaji replied, pulling the girls into a hug.

"Your welcome," they whispered.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but can we go home now?" Kara added.

The new King and Queen burst out laughing. "Of course!"

"I'll take them," Kaji added. She transformed into a much larger version of her wolf form. Crouching down, she said, "Hop on!"


	14. Chapter 14: Homecoming

**Yay!! Last chapter finally! Thanks to all of those who have endured me this far. You won't have to deal with me much longer!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avalon, Rachel Roberts does. I only own my personal characters, and you should be able to pick those out rather easily.**

Chapter 14: Homecoming 

Emily, Adriane, and Kara hung onto Kaji's fur as she raced along the land. "Hey, Emily, could you move your legs either forward or backward?" she asked suddenly.

"Sure. Why?"

"Because that's where my wings are."

Kara looked past the other two girls and nearly fainted. Ahead of them, the land suddenly dropped away. "Are you sure they can carry all of us?" she asked uncertainly.

"No, but we're about to find out!" With that, Kaji launched herself up and unfurled her wings. For a moment, she faltered. Then a strong wind picked up and helped to carry them upward. The girls turned to see Kaiyou waving to them.

"Thanks!" Kaji called to him.

"No problem! See you around, Emily, Adriane, Kara!" he shouted back.

They looked ahead again to see a portal open. Kaji flew through it and onto the—

"It the Web! I didn't know you could get to it from here!" Emily said a little surprised.

"Yes. After all, it connects all magical worlds together," replied Kaji.

"Have you ever been to a place called Aldenmor?" Kara asked.

"No, but I'll see if I can go there sometime. You have friends there?"

"Yeah. You should go. Maybe you can learn something from them and even teach them some new stuff," Adriane said.

They flew on in silence for a little bit longer, and then Kaji stopped at a platform. "Here we are! This should connect to Ravenswood."

"You know about Ravenswood?" all three girls said in surprise.

"Yes. My own parents were here once as well. Perhaps you're grandmother will remember them, Adriane," Kaji replied with a sly smile. The portal opened, and three furry faces appeared.

"Emily!" Ozzie squeaked.

"_Kara!" _Lyra meowed.

"_Adriane!" _Dreamer barked.

The girls jumped through the portal and hugged the animals. Adriane pulled away and looked at her stone. "Hey, our magic is back!" The other two looked at their stones and they saw that they were bright and glowing. Emily approached Kaji.

"If you want me to, I could heal that eye."

Kaji shook her head. "No. I'd rather keep it the way it is. It will remind me of what can happen if you become too hungry for power."

Kara came over. "We'll miss you."

Kaji smiled at them. "Don't. Now that you now where I am, you can always reach me. And I will try to find a way to get to this Aldenmor."

"When you get there, ask for Zach. He knows us," Adriane said.

"Will do. I must go now. There's a lot to do for Mahou. I'll see you soon!"

With that she turned, and the portal closed behind her. Ozzie scampered onto a table and put his paws on his hips. "Alright you three. You've got a lot of explaining to do!"

"To your friends and to me as well." They all turned to see Grandmother Charday standing in the doorway. "How are Cira and Usagi?" she asked with a smile.

"They died, grandmother. I'm sorry. But, you were there on Mahou once?!" Adriane said.

Her grandmother nodded, holding up the emblem. "I would be happy to tell you my story, but you tell me yours first."

"You guys start without me," Kara said heading for the door. "I've got to go see my brother first!"

Emily and Adriane nodded. The humans and animals gathered together around the table, and the girls started their amazing tale.

**Done! I'm so excited to hear what you think of it. All my thanks to Rainpath and Firestorm of ThunderClan for all of your support. I'm always open to new ideas, maybe even little add-on stories to this one! See you around!!!**


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